Hydrogen Gas Production Assembly and Method for Production of Hydrogen Gas

Abstract

Provided herein is a hydrogen gas production assembly includes a hydrogen gas production device, a container including an aqueous electrolyte solution, a storage container for storing produced hydrogen gas an input providing the aqueous electrolyte solution from the container to the hydrogen gas production device and an output for transferring produced hydrogen gas from the hydrogen gas production device to the storage container.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A hydrogen gas production assembly comprising:
 a power source in connection with a hydrogen gas production device,   a container comprising an aqueous electrolyte solution,   a storage container for storing produced hydrogen gas,   at least one input providing the aqueous electrolyte solution from the container to the hydrogen gas production device and at least one output for transferring produced hydrogen gas from the hydrogen gas production device to the storage container,   
       wherein said hydrogen gas production device comprises multiple electrode catalyst layers, 
       wherein adjacent to and to either side of each layer of said multiple electrode catalyst layers, a layer of solid polymer electrolyte membrane is present for decomposing water and to generate hydrogen gas from an aqueous electrolyte solution, the layers of solid polymer electrolyte membrane and electrode catalyst layer are located between at least two current collector layers thereby providing a membrane-electrode unit, wherein the hydrogen gas production device comprises at least one membrane electrode unit, and
 at least one controller unit for controlling an electric circuit comprising an electric current value and an electrical current frequency being applied to said multiple electrode catalyst layers, and 
 at least one cooling element for cooling the at least one controller unit and the electric circuit,
 wherein the at least one membrane electrode unit comprises between 5 to 15, preferably between 6 to 14, more preferably between 7 to 13, most preferably between 8 to 12 layers of solid membrane polymer, 
 wherein the hydrogen gas production device is a compact device having a total length of between 5 to 60 cm, preferably 10 to 50 cm, more preferably 20 to 40 cm and a total width of between 5 to 60 cm, preferably 10 to 50 cm, more preferably 20 to 40 cm, and the assembly enables a hydrogen gas output of between 2 to 40 L of hydrogen gas (H 2 )/min, preferably 5 to 30 H 2 /min, more preferably 10 to 25 L of H 2 /min. 
 
 
     
     
         24 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the hydrogen gas production device of present invention comprises two or more, preferably at least three, more preferably at least four membrane electrode units. 
     
     
         25 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least one membrane electrode unit comprises multiple electrode catalyst layers, wherein the number of electrode catalyst layers is n−1, wherein n is the number of layers of solid membrane polymer. 
     
     
         26 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein each layer of the at least two current collector layers and multiple electrode catalyst layers comprise two or more apertures for enabling a flow of aqueous electrolyte solution and a flow of produced hydrogen gas within the hydrogen gas production device. 
     
     
         27 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the solid membrane polymer is of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). 
     
     
         28 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the layer of solid membrane polymer has a thickness of about 2 to 15 mm, preferably 2.5 to 10 mm, more preferably 3 to 6 mm. 
     
     
         29 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the multiple electrode catalyst layers each have a thickness of about 0.2 to 4 mm, preferably 0.4 to 3 mm, more preferably 1 to 2 mm. 
     
     
         30 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the at least two or more current collector layers each have a thickness of about 1 to 10 mm, preferably 2.5 to 7.5 mm, more preferably 3.5 to 5 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the multiple electrode catalyst layers and/or current collector layers comprise stainless steel or titanium, more specifically stainless steel selected from the group consisting of austenitic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel and duplex stainless steel, preferably austenitic stainless steel. 
     
     
         32 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein the hydrogen gas production assembly further comprises a gas-liquid separation unit in connection with the output, to further purify the produced hydrogen gas from any residual aqueous electrolyte solution, thereby further reducing the water content of the hydrogen gas wherein the hydrogen gas preferably comprises at most a water amount of 5 ppm. 
     
     
         33 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein at least one controller unit is present per at most 10 electrode catalyst layers. 
     
     
         34 . The hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , comprising a multitude of said hydrogen gas production devices connected or stacked to each other. 
     
     
         35 . A method for production hydrogen gas via a hydrogen gas production assembly according to  claim 23 , wherein an electric current is applied to the hydrogen gas production device, wherein the voltage per electrode catalyst layer is between 1 to 5 volt, preferably 1.5 to 2.5 volt, more preferably 1.8 to 2.2 volt,
 wherein the electric current per electrode catalyst layer is between 3 to 15 Ampere, preferably 5 to 12 Ampere, most preferably 6 to 11 Ampere, most preferably 7 to 10 Ampere,   wherein the electric current per electrode catalyst layer is applied at a current frequency between 350 to 550 kHz, preferably 380 to 480 kHz, most preferably between 400 to 450 kHz.   
     
     
         36 . The method for production hydrogen gas according to  claim 35 , wherein the temperature in the hydrogen gas production assembly, more preferably of the controller unit and electric circuit, is maintained between 15 to 90° C., preferably between 20 to 80° C., more preferably between 25 to 40° C. 
     
     
         37 . The method for production hydrogen gas according to  claim 35 , wherein the hydrogen gas production device is filled with aqueous electrolyte solution for at least 90%, more preferably at least 95% most preferably at least 99%, most preferably 100%. 
     
     
         38 . The method for production hydrogen gas according to  claim 35 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution is one or more selected from the group consisting of aqueous solutions, water, such as seawater, wastewater, urine, preferably seawater.